That's just fine with the University of Mount Union's Vince Kehres as he enters his first Stagg Bowl for the Division III championship as head coach of the 14-0 Purple Raiders. They play Wisconsin-Whitewater for the title at 7 p.m. Friday in Salem, Va.

"It has just been one game at a time, really," Kehres said during Monday's national teleconference. "Honestly, we wanted to keep things as consistent as possible here in terms of philosophy, the way things have been run.

"Things have been running smoothly; they have been for many years. We're glad to be (in Salem) now — but it really is one game at a time."

Things sailed quite smoothly under the previous coach. Larry Kehres' Purple Raiders won 11 national titles, all since 1993, including last year's crown to cap a perfect 15-0 campaign. He abruptly retired in May after 27 seasons as college football's most successful coach with a winning percentage of .929 (332-24-3). He remains the school's director of athletics.

And the 2013 season has gone smoothly under Vince Kehres. The team has been ranked No. 1 all season, fought through a demanding OAC schedule for its 22nd straight league title, and dodged two upset bids in the playoffs to reach Salem for the ninth year in a row.

"Really, I feel like I got handed the keys to a Cadillac, put a coat of wax on it, gassed it up," Vince Kehres said of transitioning into his dream job. "The football program at Mount Union didn't need a lot of touching up."

Still, it was not the same model as the 2012 team. The only starter on offense from a year ago was junior quarterback Kevin Burke. The Raiders had to replace five All-Americans — three linemen and two receivers.

Yet the new offense scores 49 points a game and the defense allows just 19.

"Coach Vince Kehres has done a great job in his first year as coach," Burke said. "He has taken us all under his wing."

That has not gone unnoticed.

"They haven't really skipped a beat with Vince taking over for his father," Wisconsin-Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold said.

Inheriting the tag of head coach as the son of a legend has not fazed the younger Kehres.

"There is pressure," said Kehres, an assistant under his father for 13 seasons, the last eight as defensive coordinator. "I'd probably put more pressure on myself than what I'd feel from external sources.

"We expect to win every game here at Mount Union. We expect to be playing in December. That's not just my expectation. That's the expectation of the players. That's the expectation of the people who support our football program.

Page 2 of 2 - "That's nothing new. I've been here for a while now. We're accustomed to the pressure and try to block it out as best we can and focus on the week."

Nothing new and spectacular. That's been Kehres' sentiment since taking the reins of the team.

"Every year we look at subtle changes that we can make moving forward," he said. "We've made some subtle changes on offense and defense and special teams. ...

"I'm my own man as a head coach. You have to make decisions as a head coach. I probably wouldn't make the same decisions others would make."

Like moving 5-foot-6, 165-pound freshman B.J. Mitchell into the featured running back role midway through the season. Or starting senior All-America defensive lineman Matt Fechko on the offensive line to start the year. Or going for a fake punt, deep in his own territory, at Heidelberg.

Based on six games decided by 14 or fewer points, the national polls and individual NCAA rankings, it's likely Kehres' Raiders have faced more quality opponents, more top quarterbacks and been in more close games since the 14-0 1998 championship team won seven nailbiters.

But those previous 14 games mean nothing now. There's just one thing on Kehres' mind.